Recreation

Under an experimental program, after-school recreation activities will be lengthened for thousands of students in the city of Los Angeles beginning as early as February. The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education on Monday agreed to proceed with the program, which will extend existing recreation programs until 6 p.m. at 301 elementary and junior high schools. Most schools' afternoon recreation programs now end about 4 p.m. The $1.

A $202,000 contract with the Saddleback Unified School District to provide recreation programs has been approved by the City Council. Under the contract, which is up $52,000 from last year, the school district will provide youth activities programs year-round. The increase will pay for new programs and includes $15,000 to develop activities for disabled and special-needs children.

To better inform the public about what's happening in the city, the Cypress Recreation and Park District this week opened a telephone line on which recordings about upcoming events, meetings and programs can be heard. The number is (714) 229-6734.

A vastly expanded recreation program was unveiled by the city Human Services Department at a budget workshop this week. How much of the ambitious lineup will survive won't be known until the City Council votes on the 1995-96 budget next month. But council members voiced no objections to the proposed programs on Tuesday, which include a Halloween carnival, Fourth of July celebration and several activities for youths and seniors.

Voter approval of Proposition 70, the California Wildlife, Coastal and Parkland Conservation Act of 1988, on June 7 will end a serious shortage of public park, coastal, wildlife and recreation funds. The shortfall is due to legislative inaction during the past several years. The initiative is supported by scores of conservation and urban and regional parks organizations throughout the state. Northern redwoods, precious wetlands, coastal beaches and streams are slated for acquisition from landowners who are willing to sell.

The City Council has approved a budget that increases funds for several large recreation projects but otherwise leaves the city's finances largely the same as last year. The city's overall expenditures will total $34.1 million for fiscal 1995-96, up sharply from spending of $24.5 million for the previous year. The council approved the budget Tuesday by a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Gene Wisner dissenting.

Beachfront retailers aren't the only ones with a sunny summer outlook. Optimism seems to pervade the entire outdoor-recreation industry. Amusement parks have added rides and attractions, and sellers of everything from hot-air balloon rides to motorcycles say business keeps improving. "I'm booked until August," said Arlene Schafer, manager of the Full of Hot Air Balloon Co. that she runs with her husband, Paul, from their Garden Grove auto-parts store.

Everybody's buying mountain bikes. More than 70% of the bikes sold these days are of the fat-tired variety, and while most of these never stray from the asphalt, lots of folks are heading for the hills. Across the country, that has spelled conflict with other, more established trail users, namely hikers and horseback riders. And often, the bicyclists lose out.

In an action one critic called a "thinly disguised property tax," the Orange Unified School District has become the first in Orange County to make property owners foot the bill for maintaining school recreational facilities. Hard-hit by state budget cuts and the recession, the school board voted 4-3 to impose the $30-a-year fee as a way to pay for the maintenance and construction of tennis courts, swimming pools, baseball fields and other school properties used by the public.

The city's Recreation and Community Services Department is promising a fast and flat course for Saturday's second Mission Run. Proceeds from the 5K race will go toward a scholarship fund that enables the city's disadvantaged youth to enroll without fee in recreational activities. "The first time around we had over 200 [paying] runners, and we are expecting more this year," said Gwen Indermill, San Fernando's recreation director. "All of the money we raise will go to the kids."